Newsom says state is on track to meet vaccination target, leaving most counties in SoCal to level red

LOS ANGELES (KABC) – Los Angeles and other counties in Southern California could enter the state’s less restrictive red level as early as this weekend, allowing more businesses to reopen.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, at an event in South Gate, said the state is on track to meet a key goal that allows counties to speed up their move to less restrictive levels.

The state has been working to improve vaccine delivery to hardest-hit communities and has set a target of 2 million doses delivered to those communities as a step towards scaling up. The state is expected to hit that 2 million mark by Friday.

Southern California counties remain below the purple level, but four counties could be ready for a red crossing after the state hits that mark.

“We are at 1.9 million today,” Newsom said Wednesday. “On Friday we will achieve this goal. Once we reach that threshold, we will be able to move through these levels more quickly. This will allow us to update our level strategy and allow us to start reopening more strategically and more sure.”

It’s still unclear exactly when this can happen, particularly in Los Angeles County, where officials say it could take 48 hours to do so.

Other counties could potentially reduce restrictions by Saturday.

Los Angeles County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer said her department was already working on guidelines for red-leveling. She plans to publish these guidelines on Thursday. She said it was still not determined whether the county would allow indoor dining below the new level.

Ferrer added that if businesses and the public follow safety guidelines and protocols, it could generate enough progress to move to an even less restrictive Amber level within weeks.

With LA County days away from admission into red level, fitness centers will be able to open indoors. Sandy Duvall, owner of Sierra Health and Fitness, has heard that gyms will open at 10% capacity. Their gymnasium survived thanks to a 2,000 square foot outdoor gymnasium built in their parking lot.

The red level also allows counties to reopen movie theaters and expand the capacity of retail stores and malls.

LA County also announced that guards, janitors, transit workers, airport ground workers, foster parents and some social workers are now eligible for the vaccine.